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Feb 7, 2013
02/13
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in fact he was with us in the pentagon. >> so he was with you. now you knew about the cable from ambassador stevens because general hamm informed you of it, is that correct? >> in a written weekly report. >> so when secretary clinton testified a few weeks ago that she had a clear-eyed assessment of the threat we faced in libya, is that really a credible statement, if she didn't know about the ambassador's cable on august 15 saying we can't tchevend place? >> well, i don't know that she didn't know about the cable. >> she said she didn't. >> then that's -- >> are you stunned that she didn't? >> i would call myself surprised she didn't. >> are you surprised that the president of the united states never calls you, secretary panetta, and says how is it going? >> you know, normally in these situations -- >> did he know the level of threat -- >> let me finish the answer, we were deploying the forces, he knew we were deploying the forces, he was being kept -- >> i hate to interrupt you but i've got limited time. we didn't deploy any forces. >> the event
in fact he was with us in the pentagon. >> so he was with you. now you knew about the cable from ambassador stevens because general hamm informed you of it, is that correct? >> in a written weekly report. >> so when secretary clinton testified a few weeks ago that she had a clear-eyed assessment of the threat we faced in libya, is that really a credible statement, if she didn't know about the ambassador's cable on august 15 saying we can't tchevend place? >> well, i...
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Feb 26, 2013
02/13
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thank you everybody for coming. >> pentagon spokesman briefed on the defense strategy as the automatic defense budget cuts approach. >> the sequestration goes into effect for the remainder of the year and will require the department of defense to cut $46 billion from the level of funding provided on the f.y. 2013 continuing resolution in the last seven months of the fiscal year. by law, sequester would apply to all of the d.o.d. budget, including wartime spending. the only exception is that the president has indicated his inat the present time to exempt all military personnel funding from sequestration. while d.o.d. led leaders support this decision, it doesn't mean others will be cut to offset the exemption and these cuts will amount to 9%. in addition to requiring these large and sudden cuts, the law mandates they be applied in a rigid, across-the-board manner account by account, item by item. cuts to the operating portions of the d.o.d. budget must be equal in percentage terms at the level of appropriations account. army, active operations and maintainance, navy operations and with
thank you everybody for coming. >> pentagon spokesman briefed on the defense strategy as the automatic defense budget cuts approach. >> the sequestration goes into effect for the remainder of the year and will require the department of defense to cut $46 billion from the level of funding provided on the f.y. 2013 continuing resolution in the last seven months of the fiscal year. by law, sequester would apply to all of the d.o.d. budget, including wartime spending. the only exception...
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Feb 25, 2013
02/13
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the pentagon could be restructuring contracts. what do you want to say about those areas? guest: training is of cuts where only units preparing to deploy or other places -- these are the ones that will be training. everyone else, primarily in the air force and the navy, their planes will be grounded because it will not have the money they would use to do the training. it will be shifted into the war accounts to pay for afghanistan. stuff like tricare, i believe you mentioned, that is more like the benefits for care and being seen by doctors and whatnot. >> there are lots of voices in washington. what should we know about the defensive area? guest: there are two sides. there is the side that says we need to cut federal spending and the defense needs to take a roll. a lot of them would agree with that. the problem is, we're halfway done with the year and they have not been preparing for this. they will up to squeeze this into a six-month period. if it is fully implemented, it will have an impact. 2014, if it continues, and they get hit with another $50 billion cut, it will p
the pentagon could be restructuring contracts. what do you want to say about those areas? guest: training is of cuts where only units preparing to deploy or other places -- these are the ones that will be training. everyone else, primarily in the air force and the navy, their planes will be grounded because it will not have the money they would use to do the training. it will be shifted into the war accounts to pay for afghanistan. stuff like tricare, i believe you mentioned, that is more like...
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Feb 20, 2013
02/13
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i think the pentagon would be the place to go for that. i can say that the president believes and agrees with the speaker of the house that the sequester should not become fact. it was never meant to become immplementmented policy because in part, the cuts to our defense are too severe and it would affect our national security. but the specifics would have to be addressed at the pentagon. thanks, everybody. ok, i'll take you question. >> there are tens of thousands of people who are middle-class workers, who work in corporate aviation. my question is, including several tens of thousands in kansas, washington, oklahoma, they are very worried about the president's comments about eliminating the tax exemption. in their world, every time it has been eliminated there have been layoffs and there has been thousands in kansas. since the president stay started mentioning this, these are middle-class workers. what would you say to them? >> i would say that makinging budgets and choices about deficit reduction always involves difficult choices. if th
i think the pentagon would be the place to go for that. i can say that the president believes and agrees with the speaker of the house that the sequester should not become fact. it was never meant to become immplementmented policy because in part, the cuts to our defense are too severe and it would affect our national security. but the specifics would have to be addressed at the pentagon. thanks, everybody. ok, i'll take you question. >> there are tens of thousands of people who are...
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Feb 28, 2013
02/13
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with family and other employees at the pentagon. he also spoke to a broader audience of pentagon employees and we'll show that to you in just a bit on our program schedule. he was approved yesterday by a vote of 58-41, smallest margin for defense secretary since the position was created in 1947. >> at one point, steinbeck had to write a small paragraph that said people are asking -- this is after his wife joins him in seattle. when he says we, it's elaine and john and not charlie and john. and somebody must have said, where's charlie? he disappeared. steinbeck wrote a page and a half saying people have asked what happened to charlie. when my lady friend joined me in seattle, he took his position -- he's fine, and that didn't appear in the book because what they did is editors went in and took out him from the west coast. almost 30 days of elaine's presence with john on the west coast. they weren't camping out or studying america but on a vacation. >> he contends that steinbeck took so many liberties that it can't be classified as no
with family and other employees at the pentagon. he also spoke to a broader audience of pentagon employees and we'll show that to you in just a bit on our program schedule. he was approved yesterday by a vote of 58-41, smallest margin for defense secretary since the position was created in 1947. >> at one point, steinbeck had to write a small paragraph that said people are asking -- this is after his wife joins him in seattle. when he says we, it's elaine and john and not charlie and...
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Feb 22, 2013
02/13
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the pentagon briefed yesterday saying the furloughs among civilian employees would not take place until late april. >> i think the process begins, an administrative process for you and not something that will begin and notices began to go out but i would refer you to the pentagon for details. >> you have to cut into other things. >> each agency is dealing with the serious implications of the sequester to their budgets. the defense is one of those agencies that will be hit very hard but i refer you to the agencies themselves about how they are managing the process. >> the president got good news because rick scott said he now wants to expand medicaid. he is one of several -- several republican governors who have looked flopped on that. how does the white house review that? >> we are focused on implementation of the portable care act. we think the decisions made by governors across the country to move forward with implementation recognize that the benefits here for providing affordable health care to citizens of their state are very worthwhile. and we will continue to work with governors
the pentagon briefed yesterday saying the furloughs among civilian employees would not take place until late april. >> i think the process begins, an administrative process for you and not something that will begin and notices began to go out but i would refer you to the pentagon for details. >> you have to cut into other things. >> each agency is dealing with the serious implications of the sequester to their budgets. the defense is one of those agencies that will be hit very...
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Feb 12, 2013
02/13
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which essentially means eliminating the entire federal government except the pentagon. all of a sudden the last couple of months hitting this arbitrary political target is vital. what is vital, as i said, is having a deficit strategy that's consistent with sound economic growth and making sure that we strengthen the middle class and that means as a first step to make sure that our deficits, as the economy improves, as we grow, that our deficits are not growing faster than g.d.p. and that we stabilize the debt as a percentage of g.d.p. because if you don't, as the economy improves, higher government borrowing -- we need to adopt that strategy and adopt it now. have it kicked in over a period of time. we just got very good news that the rate of per capita increase in health care costs is actually at the lowest level of 50 years. we need to continue to adopt strategies to keep that -- those costs increase low. as as demographic changes means baby boomers retire and we clearly need to keep working on those issues. but let me just sum up where we are in terms of our deficit
which essentially means eliminating the entire federal government except the pentagon. all of a sudden the last couple of months hitting this arbitrary political target is vital. what is vital, as i said, is having a deficit strategy that's consistent with sound economic growth and making sure that we strengthen the middle class and that means as a first step to make sure that our deficits, as the economy improves, as we grow, that our deficits are not growing faster than g.d.p. and that we...
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Feb 22, 2013
02/13
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it is certainly true and it has been true from the first year i was in the pentagon in 1962. it is by far the best military acquisition program in the world than it is certainly better than other government agency acquisition programs, some of which have also been involved. >> we grade on a curve there. don't worry. [laughter] >> there are seven things here that lead us in the wrong direction that i want to mention. it's a little confrontational. i do not think there is a legislative way to fix the acquisition. i do think the point made by admiral roughead is extremely important. you have to get the acquisition process, the requirements process working together more seamlessly than the currently do. that would be an important step forward. i do not believe there is a legislative design that can fix the whole matter. it is my experience and the secretary proposition which we had a drawdown that was closer to the 16%, may be in excess of that, there and what is planned for today, that it is very important to look at these two proposals. one is to cut half the programs if it exc
it is certainly true and it has been true from the first year i was in the pentagon in 1962. it is by far the best military acquisition program in the world than it is certainly better than other government agency acquisition programs, some of which have also been involved. >> we grade on a curve there. don't worry. [laughter] >> there are seven things here that lead us in the wrong direction that i want to mention. it's a little confrontational. i do not think there is a...
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Feb 6, 2013
02/13
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as a way of improving efficiency within the pentagon. i'd say that applies to all the other agencies as well. secondly, most of the concern about sequestration is focused on readiness and training which is absolutely true. if you talk to the lawyers that work at defense contractors, they think they're going to have a field kay. and some -- we've even had testimony last year in the house armed services committee that the legal hassles emanating from sequestration may eat up a lot of the savings. but beyond that, as senator ayotte and lindsey referenced, there's a lot of dangerous places in the world. and what we do is try to develop capability to deal with the unknowable contingencies of what could happen at a place like syria or iran or north korea. with less money, you can prepare for fewer contingencies. and so the point is, it's not just readiness, it's not just lawyers' pockets, this also hurts us in the real world today. final point is, there's lots of options to deal with this. as was mentioned, the house passed bills twice last ye
as a way of improving efficiency within the pentagon. i'd say that applies to all the other agencies as well. secondly, most of the concern about sequestration is focused on readiness and training which is absolutely true. if you talk to the lawyers that work at defense contractors, they think they're going to have a field kay. and some -- we've even had testimony last year in the house armed services committee that the legal hassles emanating from sequestration may eat up a lot of the savings....
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Feb 14, 2013
02/13
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as is widely recognized, sequestration over the next 10 years apply to the pentagon budget would only reduce it in inflation adjusted terms to what it was in 2007 a. the most powerful military in the world -- 2007, as the most powerful military in the world engaged in a war in iraq and the challenge in afghanistan. if members of congress pay attention to the facts, they will see a clear path to dramatically reduce pentagon spending without undermining america's position as being the most powerful nation on the planet. and nobody has done a better job of highlighting a path forward, an area of opportunity, than walter pinkus writhing on the pages of the "washington post" over the last couple years as he details the sweep of our nuclear weapons program and the spending trajectory. this morning's latest offering should be required reading for every member of congress and the ones who whine the loutest should be forced to read it -- loudest should be forced to read it twice. he details a vast array of nuclear weapons already deployed, ready to be deployed within 30 minutes, a relic of our
as is widely recognized, sequestration over the next 10 years apply to the pentagon budget would only reduce it in inflation adjusted terms to what it was in 2007 a. the most powerful military in the world -- 2007, as the most powerful military in the world engaged in a war in iraq and the challenge in afghanistan. if members of congress pay attention to the facts, they will see a clear path to dramatically reduce pentagon spending without undermining america's position as being the most...
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Feb 11, 2013
02/13
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the bin laden operation, and he also sat in in many sensitive meetings and discussions i had in the pentagon. i want you to know that he has never told a soul what he heard. [laughter] he is definitely not a a leaker -- at least according to that definition of the word. [laughter] you have heard of the movie "zero dark 30." the producer is considering a sequel called "zero bark 30." it has been 50 years of public service, and i will and always cherish the deep and lasting friendships that i have made in washington. and i am extremely grateful that so many of those friends could be here this afternoon. i have spent a long time in this town. as the son of immigrants, as the president pointed out, i have truly lived the american dream. being an italian-american, in congress, at senior levels in the executive branch, it has been for me a very unique experience. i have never lost my awe by the sight of the capitol and the white house at night. it is still a very special experience. i remember when i was first elected to the house of representatives, there was a member that the president may recal
the bin laden operation, and he also sat in in many sensitive meetings and discussions i had in the pentagon. i want you to know that he has never told a soul what he heard. [laughter] he is definitely not a a leaker -- at least according to that definition of the word. [laughter] you have heard of the movie "zero dark 30." the producer is considering a sequel called "zero bark 30." it has been 50 years of public service, and i will and always cherish the deep and lasting...
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Feb 27, 2013
02/13
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we also must address the huge budget challenges that are facing the pentagon. in large measure because neither it nor congress has insisted on change and indeed in some cases has institutionalized bad decision. we haven't scaled back our horribly expensive outmoded, inefficient deterrent program, maintaining perhaps eight, 10 times what we need for actual deterrence today with three massive expensive redoesn'tant delivery systems that are out of sync with today's threats. we haven't used nuclear weapons for the last 68 years. we probably won't use them for the next 68 years and there is no imaginable circumstance when we would use even a fraction of what we have. and the cost for that conservatively is over 2/3 of $1 trillion over the next 10 years. we need to come to grips with the cost of an all-volunteer army. now, our forces are significantly above what we had a decade earlier when we were supposedly staffed to fight two wars simultaneously. we need to scale that down to refocus it, to supplement reductions in troop levels with beefed up support to the nati
we also must address the huge budget challenges that are facing the pentagon. in large measure because neither it nor congress has insisted on change and indeed in some cases has institutionalized bad decision. we haven't scaled back our horribly expensive outmoded, inefficient deterrent program, maintaining perhaps eight, 10 times what we need for actual deterrence today with three massive expensive redoesn'tant delivery systems that are out of sync with today's threats. we haven't used...
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Feb 1, 2013
02/13
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i'm proud of the partnerships the state department has formed with the pentagon. america's traditional allies and friends in europe and east asia remain in valuable partners in nearly everything we do. we've spent energy strengthening those bonds over the past four years. the un and world bank and nato are still essentials. all of our institutions and relationships check need to be modernized and complemented by new institutions and partnerships that are tailored for new challenges and model to the needs of a variable landscape. like how we elevated the g-20 during the financial crisis or created the climate and clean air coalition to fight short live pollutants like black carbon. or work with parties where we stood up the first global terrorism forum. we are working with organizations. consider the arab league in libya. even the lower mekong initiative that we created to help reintegrate burma into its neighborhood and try to work across national boundaries on whether dams should or should not be billult. ilt. world, people want to actually show up. a secretary s
i'm proud of the partnerships the state department has formed with the pentagon. america's traditional allies and friends in europe and east asia remain in valuable partners in nearly everything we do. we've spent energy strengthening those bonds over the past four years. the un and world bank and nato are still essentials. all of our institutions and relationships check need to be modernized and complemented by new institutions and partnerships that are tailored for new challenges and model to...